# Ocean Watch vs Tide

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Ocean Watch at none against Tide's 2. Ocean Watch also leads on ratings volume (2.7K vs 250). Tide's advantage is review sentiment (90% vs 74%) and update cadence (every 3 months vs every 9 months). On price, rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Tide sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Ocean Watch asks for nothing beyond the download.

Tide holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ocean Watch has 2.7K ratings behind it against 250, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 74% of Ocean Watch's written reviews are positive against 90% of Tide's.

Ocean Watch ships an update every 9 months, Tide every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Ocean Watch | Tide |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (2.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ocean-watch/id865207409/reviews) | **[4.9 (250 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tide-forecastcom/id6499426171/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **2.7K** | 250 |
| Positive reviews | 73.6% of reviews | **90.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | **Every 3 months** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Freemium** |
| Size | 137 MB | 57 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Blue Bright Labs LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/865207412) | [Meteo365 Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/661723505) |

## What reviewers say

### Ocean Watch

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ocean-watch/id865207409)

Access tide predictions for over 3,300 stations across the US and Caribbean. Visualize tide data with stunning graphics and an interactive almanac. Plan your activities with offline access to predictions and custom notes.

**Highlights:** 3,300+ tide stations, Stunning graphics and visualizations, Offline tide predictions, Interactive almanac, Integrated station map, Custom notes and images

**Features:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Accurate tide information
- 🌟 Excellent app design and user experience
- ⏱️ Quick and responsive
- 🔍 Useful for planning beach activities
- 🗺️ Supports multiple locations

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or bugs
- 🔍 Limited coverage for some areas (e.g., Canada)
- 🔍 Inconsistent performance on Apple Watch
- 🔍 Complications not always accurate or up-to-date
- 🔍 Difficulty setting favorites or customizing the app

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when trying to open tide station details
- Tide data sometimes stuck on wrong location
- Apple Watch app not syncing or updating correctly
- Issues with the app's widget not displaying accurate information

**Requested features**

- Add water temperature and wind speed data
- Improve Apple Watch complication to show more detailed tide information
- Expand coverage to more locations, especially in Canada and other countries
- Add ability to set tide alerts or notifications
- Improve stability and reliability to reduce crashes


### Tide

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tide-forecastcom/id6499426171)

Get accurate 30-day tide predictions, moon phases, and sunrise/sunset times for any location worldwide. Includes local weather conditions, wave heights, and swell periods to help plan your outdoor activities.

**Highlights:** 30-day tide graphs and tables, Moon phases, Sunrise and sunset times, Local weather conditions, Wave heights and swell periods, Global location forecasting

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Service (Monthly) | $2.99 | per month |
| Premium Service (Yearly) | $19.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Ocean Watch free?

Ocean Watch is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Tide free?

Tide is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Ocean Watch or Tide?

Tide is rated higher. Ocean Watch averages 4.8 out of 5 from 2.7K ratings, while Tide averages 4.9 from 250 ratings.

### Do Ocean Watch or Tide have ads?

Neither Ocean Watch nor Tide shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Ocean Watch or Tide?

Ocean Watch ships an update every 9 months, and Tide every 3 months. Most recently, Ocean Watch was updated on November 6, 2026 and Tide on November 4, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*